Thinnest TV revealed by LG

LG Display (LPL)showed off its newest, thinnest-ever TV panel at a press event in South Korea Tuesday. The 55-inch display is about as thin as a DVD and weighs less than a 13-inch MacBook Pro, which is 4.5 pounds, or 2 kilograms. It can be hung on a wall using a special magnetic mat.

The ultra thin TV is only a concept for now, but it shows the potential of OLED, the technology that makes it possible to make high definition displays flexible, thin and lightweight.

At the press event, the head of LG Display’s OLED group told reporters the company would increase its OLED production this year.

OLED displays are made from sheets of organic (carbon-based) materials which emit their own light. As a result, manufacturers can eliminate the layer of fluorescent backlighting found in traditional displays, such as LCD screens.

LG and Samsung sell several OLED TV models already, but they cost thousands of dollars, and aren’t nearly as thin.

The U.S. Department of Energy says it could take a few more years for prices to come down enough for larger OLED displays to be available commercially.